home Audience 6 Plague mask in the Middle Ages. Doctor during the plague. Famous plague doctors

Plague mask in the Middle Ages. Doctor during the plague. Famous plague doctors

I found some interesting material that I wanted to post.

Thanks to films and historical books, it is known what horror the executioner's costume - a robe and a mask hiding the face - brought to people in the Middle Ages. The costume of the so-called Plague Doctor was no less terrifying, indicating that the Black Death - the plague - had settled nearby.

Doctors of that time could not immediately recognize the disease: it was assumed that transmission of the disease occurred during physical contact, through clothing and bedding. Based on these ideas, the most infernal costume of the Middle Ages arose - the Plague Doctor costume. To visit the sick during the plague, doctors were required to wear this special clothing, which turned out to be a combination of prejudice and sound epidemiological considerations.

The beaked mask, which gave the doctor the appearance of an ancient Egyptian deity, was believed to ward off illness. But the beak also had a functional role: it protected the doctor from the “pathogenic odor.” The beak or its tip was filled with strong-smelling medicinal herbs, which made breathing easier during the constant stench of the plague. And since the Plague Doctor constantly chewed garlic for prevention, his beak protected those around him from the garlic aroma. In addition, the doctor placed incense on a special sponge into the nostrils and ears. To prevent him from suffocating from all this bouquet of smells, there were two small ventilation holes in the beak. The mask also had glass inserts to protect the eyes. A long, wax-impregnated cloak and leather or oiled clothing made of thick fabric were needed to avoid contact with the infected. Often clothes were soaked in a mixture of camphor, oil and wax. In reality, this made it possible to some extent to avoid the bite of the plague carrier, the flea, and protected against airborne disease, although this was not even suspected at that time. The doctor's costume was completed with a leather hat, under which a hood with a cape was worn, covering the joint between the mask and the clothing.

Why did doctors wear such strange clothes during the bubonic plague?

Each part of the costume, namely the hat, bird mask, red glasses, black coat, leather pants and wooden cane, is believed to have an important function. Although the doctors did not know that they were doing more harm than good. With the help of their outfit, or rather the coat they wore, they infected more and more people, because their clothes may have temporarily protected them from infection, but they themselves became a source of infection. After all, the real carriers of the virus were ticks and rats...

Hat

In the 14th century, a doctor could be easily identified by his wide-brimmed black hat. It is believed that the wide-brimmed hat was used to partially shield doctors from bacteria.

Bird mask

Why a beak? Although in the Middle Ages people for some reason believed that birds spread the plague, the beak served other purposes. The beak was filled with vinegar, sweet oil and other strong-smelling chemicals that masked the smell of a decomposing body that accompanied the doctor of that time constantly.

Red glass lenses

For some reason, doctors thought that red eyepieces would make them immune to the deadly disease.

Black coat

It's simple. So they tried to reduce contact with the infected body of the patient. Also, this shapeless black coat hid the fact that the doctor’s entire body was smeared with wax or fat to create, as it were, a layer between the virus and the doctor.

Leather pants

Fishermen and firefighters wore similar ones to prevent water from getting inside, and the leather trousers of medieval doctors protected their limbs and genitals from infection. Yes, everything there was also coated with wax or grease.

Wooden cane

They used canes to move the dead bodies.

http:// medportal. ru

Why did doctors wear such strange clothes during the bubonic plague?

In the 14th century, a doctor could be easily identified by his wide-brimmed black hat. It is believed that the wide-brimmed hat was used to partially shield doctors from bacteria.

Bird mask

Red glass lenses

For some reason, doctors thought that red eyepieces would make them immune to the deadly disease.

Black coat

Leather pants

Wooden cane

They used canes to move the dead bodies.

Recognizing a plague doctor in a stranger was not a big problem. This was facilitated by his outstanding suit, which can safely be called the first medical uniform.

The fact is that doctors of that time already assumed that plague infection occurs during physical contact, through clothing and bedding. Based on these ideas, one of the most extraordinary images of the Middle Ages arose - the Plague Doctor costume. To visit the sick during the plague, doctors were required to wear special clothing made with an eye to the leather armor of light infantry.

The beaked mask, which gave the doctor the appearance of an ancient Egyptian deity, was believed to ward off illness. But the beak also had a functional function: it protected the doctor from the “pathogenic odor”, that is, it was a prototype of modern respirators. The beak or its tip was filled with strong-smelling medicinal herbs, which made breathing easier during the constant stench of the plague. In addition, the doctor placed incense on a special sponge into the nostrils and ears. To prevent him from suffocating from all this bouquet of smells, there were two small ventilation holes in the beak. Like gas masks of the twentieth century, the mask had glass inserts to protect the eyes.

A long-brimmed black hat indicated the status of a doctor. A long cloak impregnated with wax and leather or oiled clothing made of thick fabric were needed to avoid physical contact with the bodies of infected people and corpses. They moved dead bodies with a cane and used it for self-defense.

Treatment of those infected with the plague was carried out using the empirical method (trial and error). Leeches, dried lizards, opening and cauterization of plague abscesses, bloodletting and other folk remedies were used. In any case, the mortality rate during the plague epidemic reached 90%, so their treatment methods certainly did not make things worse.

The most famous plague doctor was Michel de Nostredame, better known as a fortune teller. Nostradamus. His family died during one of the epidemics and Michel decided to become a doctor to find a way to treat the plague.

I am posting a small master class on making a Plague Doctor mask. For this we will need: a plasticine mold, a lot of paper, paste, lenses, a glue gun, putty, primer and acrylic. Details under each photo.

First, let's make a base out of plasticine.

As soon as the model is ready, apply thick cream to it, then papier-mâché (8-10 layers of paper. I use old notes) along with paste (I make it from flour). And we wait a day until it all dries.

Using a cut in the center, remove the base from the plasticine and glue the gap.

We cut holes in the right places (for ventilation) and cover the mask with PVA super glue (for greater strength).

Using a glue gun, insert the lenses.

We apply acrylic putty and sand, sand, sand and sand again.

Finished. Now the mask is smooth and beautiful. Next (again for strength) we apply primer, or the same PVA.

Don’t forget about the rubber band that will help keep the mask on your head)

In a provincial town
There was a holiday, music sounded,
But in the cheering crowd
The ominous face of a tramp appeared.
He walked as if alone
The crowd didn't notice him.
And somehow it’s strange for him
The local dogs were watching.
He was wearing a dirty cloak,
The black cylinder is crumpled into an accordion,
He looked at his feet,
And he clutched the mask in his fist.
In a black top hat, in an old outfit,
The traveler was in a hurry to get to the city for the holiday...

Good day!
The chorus of this song sounded in my head when this mask was being made. In order to take my mind off the strap theme, I took up this work. I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, and then I received an order from my friend for a mask. It was not done quickly, sometimes it sat for another month, especially in search of brass fittings. And there were also alterations. The main goal was to get it done by Halloween. I met the given deadlines.
First of all, I scoured the Internet for reports on mask making. There aren't a lot of drawings, but what we have is enough - and
In both options, I didn’t like the shape of the beak; I wanted a more “graceful” shape. And it was necessary to keep within the sizes of the available pieces of leather. To do this, I made several different options from paper.

Based on paper patterns, I cut out mask parts from leather about 4 mm thick, with a 6 mm allowance for sewing.

I immediately punched holes for the seams. The edges of the allowances were cut at an angle of 45 degrees; on the beak and bottom they were bent inward.

The frontal part was also cut at an angle, but without bending. Next I sewed the sides and forehead together.

I purchased red acrylic lenses. Glass under protective film. And he cut out the skin for them. I haven't painted the ends yet.

Simple round pieces of leather didn’t look interesting, so I decided to make sides to imitate eyelids. I found 3 plastic rings, each 2 mm in diameter smaller than the other. I picked up the thinnest leather from stock, less than 1mm thick, and soaked it in warm water. After soaking it stretches well. And he put it through these rings. Then I let it dry, then I wet the central part, cut a hole in it and pulled it out in the opposite direction. The middle ring remained inside and was placed on glue.

The result was the following elements.

I worked on the bottom part.

Then he returned to his eyes.

P.S. I’ll give you some advice - the hole for the glass in the mask and eyecup should be at least 10 mm smaller than the diameter of the glass. From the edge of the eyecup to the seam line I have about 3-4 mm. In this case, the glass will be sandwiched between two layers of skin. Otherwise, the glass may slip out. I didn’t take this into account, and I had to make another 3rd layer of skin from the inside, because... My glasses fell inward due to the large hole in the mask - it was 5 mm smaller than the diameter of the glass.

Well, the general view. I didn't like the place on the beak where all 4 parts meet. It didn't turn out very neatly.

But there was a delay with the buckles. Due to my perfectionism and desire for authenticity, the buckles were planned exclusively from brass.
The first version was drawn in corel draw and cut out with a water cutter.
But when I applied them to the mask, it seemed to me that they did not fit into the composition.
Perhaps later I will use them in another product.

Then, through searching, I found a buckle that I liked, made in England. At a price of $0.86 per buckle, the minimum delivery of an order to Russia from the manufacturer’s website is about $30. They are also available on Amazon, but they are 3 times more expensive. We managed to find one in Russia. But it didn’t fit the size - it fits a 25 mm belt.

And a friend also dug up these 18 mm buckles from the bins. Also brass, over the years of inactivity they have become covered with patina.

And here's the whole bunch.

While we were looking for the buckles, the mask lay idle, I picked it up and everything seemed to be wrong. And now the buckles are on her hands, and she still lies there. Then I had a two-month emergency at work, I worked 13-14 hours and had no free time. As a result, when I scattered the rush, I came to the conclusion that it was all in the seams. I ripped the bottom and the seam at the top of the beak. I trimmed it along the fold line and sewed the top. Having previously also removed 45 degrees from the inner edges. The seam is a pigtail, with both halves not rigidly fixed to each other. Therefore, I added an additional thread, red for contrast.

Now it's time for the belts. There will be two of them - on the side and on top. Accordingly, there are also 2 buckles. And the 3rd... will also come in handy))) Eyelets and holnitens made of pure brass, also had to be ordered externally.

Left side.

Right side.

P.S. The strap came out short, a little later I remade it.

I cut off a circle from the frontal part.

The strap has been redone.

And I started working on the lower halves. I re-cut them.

P.S. This type of seam requires a lot of thread, about nine seam lengths. At the very beginning I took 45 meters of waxed thread. Now there is just a little bit left, just enough for the bottom seam. If not for one-time alterations, there would still be 5-10 meters left.
I usually sew using a fishing leash made from guitar string. I like it because it is tough, thin and long, it can be threaded into hard-to-reach places. It is especially convenient to insert a thread into a hole where it is difficult to reach with your hand and, pulling it out from the inside, thread a thread into it and pull it out.

And here is the final result.

I installed 6 eyelets at the bottom for ventilation. The marking lines are still visible.

I installed straps on the straps to secure the strap.

Then an afterthought appeared that it was possible to beat it with red threads anyway... but the deadlines were already running out, so I left it as is.

The ends were painted over and smoothed. More details about this and the rest of the leather tool in my topic with. The surface of the skin was covered with cream and glitter.

My friend liked the work. Photo from him.

And a little later we did a small photo shoot.

That's all. Ready to answer all questions.